


unchained melody

by radneto



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe: Give Obi-Wan a Boyfriend, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotionally Repressed, Friends to Lovers, Let's See If Y'all Know, Lots of Secret References, M/M, Original Alien Species - Freeform, Original Planets, i feel like it's ooc, idk - Freeform, magical flowers, or whatever, this kinda sucks i'm sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-18
Updated: 2020-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:35:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23207071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/radneto/pseuds/radneto
Summary: Obi-Wan Kenobi is paired with an old friend to find a mysterious desert flower on the planet Sarga. However, as they brave bandits, dragons, tornadoes, and many other dangers, they may realize feelings that finally have the chance to come to light.this is an AWFUL summary, i apologize
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi/Original Male Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> ok so i spent like, what, five days writing this hunk of junk? idk what possessed me to write some ocxcanon besides the fact i wanted to be incredibly self indulgent or whatever so here's this. i'm sorry if it's awful, it's also unbeta'd but i read through it like twice and it seemed,,, okay. i make up A LOT of stuff and i don't explain much about my original characters because this is very different than what i usually write so i cry i cry. i even drew stupid cover art for this.  
> also star wars swears are stupid but i used them

Since the Jedi joined the Galactic Republic in their war against the Separatists, Obi-Wan had been thrown into numerous battles and dangerous situations where not everyone made it out alive. In the cold, in the rain, in the blazing heat of a planet too close to the sun that fire would lick at the heels of his boots as he tread across its surface, he fought for the Jedi Order and the Jedi fought for the Republic. But now he was sent on a mission different from what had become his usual.

“You must locate and retrieve a rare flower with healing properties on the planet Sarga,” Master Windu had told him. “The Chancellor believes that its powers would be very useful in creating advanced medical supplies for our forces. If we can get our hands on the flower before the Separatists find out about it, it could turn the tide of the war.”

Obi-Wan readily accepted the task. “I’ll inform Anakin of the details,” he said automatically, prepared to be dismissed.

“Joining you, Skywalker will not be,” Master Yoda corrected, regarding him sagely. “With Master Kaz’owan, you will be partnered.”

He was surprised but not offended by the change. “Kaz’owan?”

“Yes,” Master Shaak Ti had said. “As you know, Kaz’owan has a wide knowledge on botany and has been studying this flower for quite some time. His skills would be very useful in finding it.”

“I see,” Obi-Wan conceded. “In that case, I will find Master Kaz’owan and we will leave right away.”

That was five hours ago. Now, the two of them were deep in space, traveling straight to Sarga. Neither one of them had said a word to each other since they had taken off, the silence between them comfortable. Obi-Wan turned to subtly gaze at Kaz’owan who was seated beside him, nose buried deep in his book, his dark, curly hair shaved close to his head and kept out of the way of his eyes. Obi-Wan has known Kaz’owan for a long time. They had grown up in the same crèche together, studied together in the Temple library as padawans, shared lunches at Dex’s Diner on more than one occasion. Obi-Wan would say that he considered Kaz’owan as one of his closest friends, even if they had not had the time to socialize as of late. In fact, the last time he had spent this much time with Kaz’owan was probably sometime before the fight against Count Dooku. He had seemed much younger and brighter then. But war ages people.

Kaz’owan looked up from his book, his kind brown eyes meeting Obi-Wan’s. “Something on your mind?” he asked, amused.

Obi-Wan hadn’t meant to get caught but he tried not to show his embarrassment. “Perhaps we should discuss the mission. I’d like to know more about the flower we’re looking for.”

Kaz’owan set his book down onto his lap, intending to give him his full attention. “I agree,” he said. “I don’t know much about Sarga aside from what the Council told us, but this flower... There is much to know about it.”

Kaz’owan turned in his seat, an excited gleam in his eye as he launched into a passionate rant about the flower. “It’s called Wunderwand. Located in a place called the Oasis, it’s rumored to have ten or twelve petals shaped like hearts and white as snow. It is also said that it is so pure that just by looking upon it can cure most ailments.”

Obi-Wan appeared skeptical. “I doubt that a flower is really capable of such abilities.”

“You never know,” his friend said, a wide grin upon his face. “Plants have many mysterious powers that we have yet to discover. Like the Force.”

“You have not changed at all, Kaz,” Obi-Wan chuckled. “Ever since we were younglings, you’ve always talked about plants and nature like they held the answers to the universe.”

“It’s because they do! Plants have been around longer than any sentient being has, so clearly they know more than they’re letting on.”

“I suppose you aren’t wrong,” Obi-Wan faced forward again, eyes landing on Sarga as they came closer to the planet.

Sarga had an interesting geography, unlike any planet Obi-Wan had ever seen before. The surface was completely split in half, on one side was just sand and rocky desert. The other side was a vast ocean. If he remembered correctly from the file they had been given, Sarga was currently in the middle of a civil war between peoples of land and sea. It made their mission rather risky and Obi-Wan could only hope that they wouldn’t get caught up in the politics of this war.

They finally landed the ship in the port of Vega, the land capital of Sarga. Obi-Wan was the first to exit their ship, briefly looking around, making eye contact with a group of humanoids dressed in strips of cloth wrapped around their hands and heads, most of their faces covered. Kaz came up behind him, clapping him on the back amiably.

“Shall we go?” he asked. “Our speeder is waiting for us.”

Obi-Wan turned away from the group to face Kaz. “Yes, let’s go.”

Once seated, Kaz drove their rented landspeeder through the city and Obi-Wan used it as an opportunity to curiously scan their surroundings. All around them were various sizes of buildings made from clay and some strange crystals that seemed to glow in the shadows. The streets were bustling and busy with business in the marketplace and he caught a glimpse of fabrics and fruits being sold in the stands before they turned a corner to avoid the crowd. It was very different from Coruscant whose busy atmosphere seems to come from air traffic, the bustling of droids and the mechanical hums of the machinery. It was refreshing to see such raw interaction between people in an era where you can just watch anchors drone about the news on the HoloNet and call it a day.

“For a planet that has this much desert, it’s quite cool, isn’t it?” Kaz commented as he switched lanes.

“Must be because of the large body of water. It allows for a cool breeze to sweep over the land,” but even with the brisk air, Obi-Wan could still feel the beginnings of perspiration starting to form on his brow and under his robes. 

It didn’t take much longer for them to arrive at The Mirage, a very inconspicuous diner settled in a corner between two rather tall buildings. Kaz parked the speeder at the front and they made their way into the quaint eatery. They came to the diner in order to meet with the guide they had hired to lead them into the desert. The man in question hailed them from a booth at the other end of the restaurant and they made their way to him. When they approached his table, he stood up and shook their hands politely.

“You two the Jedi lookin’ for a guide into the desert? The name’s Fen Rui.”

Fen was a human dressed in tattered brown leather, with a beige bandana tied around his neck. His hair was a dirty blonde and was pulled back into a short ponytail, strands falling loosely onto his face. 

“Yes. I am Obi-Wan Kenobi. This is my partner, Kaz’owan. We would be grateful if you could lead us to the Oasis.”

He stroked his pointed goatee as he regarded them curiously. “Sure, I can take you there. But it’ll cost ya.”

“What’s your price?” Kaz asked.

Fen looked between the two. “Eight hundred creds.”

“ _Eight hundred_?”

“Well, considerin’ that it’ll take a few days for us to get there, bravin’ many dangers out in the desert, and not to mention the fact that we’ll have to use my skijas to travel ‘cause a speeder has the risk of breakin’ down in the middle of nowhere, I think that eight hundred credits is a pretty fair price.”

Obi-Wan frowned. It was a rather high price, but for the services they were requiring, it may be worth it. “Deal.”

Kaz paid their guide who happily accepted the credits before leading the way out of The Mirage. They took the speeder to the outskirts of the city where three reptilian, raptor-like creatures were tied to a post, waiting patiently for them.

“Y’all know how to ride a skija?” Fen asked as he hopped out of the speeder, moving to untie the creatures.

“Um, no?” Kaz stood awkwardly beside one of the skijas, clearly not sure how to approach it.

“It’s easy. All you gotta do is hold on tight, these beauties are fast, faster than any speeder. And you can’t be afraid to be assertive. If you wanna go one direction, you gotta let ‘em know clearly. And watch your hands ‘round their teeth, they’re biters,” Fen explained, patting his skija’s neck. “To mount ‘em, you just gotta coax ‘em to sit down and then you can climb onto the saddle. It’s a bit like riding a blurrg. ‘Cept they’re much, much faster.”

Obi-Wan and Kaz exchanged a wary look before attempting to do exactly as Fen instructed. It wasn’t too difficult to have them sit down, nor was it hard to climb onto the saddle, but once the skijas were standing upright again, their biggest issue was control. Obi-Wan must have been holding onto the reins a bit too tightly because the skija he was on started to thrash wildly. He immediately loosened his grip and regained some control over it. Kaz pulled up beside him, his expression full of worry.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yes, I’m fine. Think I just startled it, that’s all.”

“C’mon, boys,” Fen said as he rode past them. “The sun isn’t gettin’ any higher and I’d like to get close to halfway across the desert before the night falls.”

The heat was much more aggressive out in the open desert compared to in the city. Obi-Wan and Kaz folded up their robes and shoved them into their packs, but the hotness still crawled up and under their clothes, moisture gathering on the surface of their skin. Obi-Wan had loosened his belt just a bit, allowing air to flow under his tunic more freely. Kaz had completely taken his arms out of his sleeves, letting his shirt hang around his waist, leaving his chest bare and exposed to the elements. Obi-Wan never noticed this before but Kaz was very... fit. His muscles weren’t particularly big, but they were defined, well-built curves that were accentuated by the slow glide of glistening sweat on his dark skin that made them incredibly... alluring.

Obi-Wan stopped his thoughts there, looking away from Kaz’s broad back and toned arms. Now was _not_ the time to consider his attraction to Kaz’owan. It wasn’t like he didn’t know he was handsome with his eye-crinkling smile and large physique. But he knew that within him there were feelings that went beyond physical attraction and that was the dangerous part. But attraction wasn’t something that was foreign to him. He’s had feelings for others before. Well, he had experienced emotions like that only one other time in his teen years, when he met the Duchess of Mandalore, but those were very brief and naive feelings. He took a deep breath and released his emotions into the Force. The last thing he needed was any distractions from his mission.

Eventually, the heat slowly faded as the sun began to set. Their skijas began to slow as they grew tired from running for so many hours. Obi-Wan was relieved when he felt a cool breeze fly through his hair, gently caressing his face. Kaz even put his shirt back on (another reason for Obi-Wan to be relieved but he would never admit that.)

“We should set up camp soon,” Fen said, slowing down. “Before it gets too dark. I should warn y’all that nights in this desert are karkin’ freezin’.”

Before either Jedi could agree, there was a great roar from above them. All three turned to look up at the sky, spotting three winged creatures flying towards them. It was just light enough for them to see a few figures mounted on each beast.

“Bandits!” Fen hissed. He pulled out a blaster, aiming it at the figures.

Obi-Wan and Kaz activated their lightsabers, deflecting the rain of blaster fire from above. One of the winged beasts swooped down, claws reaching towards Obi-Wan. He managed to dodge them in time, jumping off his skija before he could be grabbed. Instead, the beast grabbed hold of his mount, tearing into its flesh and ripping it apart as though it were made of paper. 

“What are these things?” Kaz shouted over the sound of blaster fire. 

“They’re called vermes! Similar to krayt dragons, ‘cept they can fly and rip a bantha in two!” Fen aimed and shot down one of the riders.

Obi-Wan managed to deflect a blast that flew back at one of the vermes and shot through its skull. The creature immediately fell to the ground, effectively crushing its passengers. The remaining vermes were startled by the sudden death of one of their own and flew frantically above them, their riders desperately trying to regain control. Fen fired a few more shots at the bandits which turned their attention on him. One of the vermes came swooping down, claws stretched towards the guide, who scrambled to aim his blaster at it in time. Kaz jumped between them, slashing his lightsaber in an upwards motion and severing the verme’s claw. It released a painful screech and immediately retreated, the other verme following it as the bandits made a hasty escape.

Obi-Wan and Kaz returned their sabers to their belts as soon as they were sure the bandits were long gone. Fen had hopped off his mount and stood beside the slaughtered skija, mourning the unfortunate creature. Obi-Wan approached the verme that had fallen, inspecting it suspiciously. Crushed beneath the weight of the rather large corpse were two bandits who were also very dead. Obi-Wan peered closer and realized something familiar about them. 

“These people were at the port,” he said. “They’ve clearly been following us since we got here. But I don’t understand what they wanted from us.”

“Bandits will do as they please. They’ll steal from children and kill innocent farmers, existin’ only to create chaos in this war. They must’ve seen your ship comin’ in and assumed y’all were easy pickin’s just ‘cause you were new.”

“Will they show up again?” Kaz inquired worriedly.

“They might, but not for a while. If we push forward a bit more, I think we can just barely avoid another encounter.”

“In that case, I’ll ride with Kaz,” Obi-Wan decided. “I have a feeling that might slow us down a little, but I’m hopeful that we’ll be fine.”

They rode for a few more hours, until the sun was completely gone, and two moons appeared directly above them. They stopped and set up camp. A fire was made with whatever material they could find around them and they had a dinner of ration bars and a strange, rat-like creature one of the skijas had accidentally crushed with its foot. After eating, Fen went to tend to their mounts, feeding them and checking for any injuries, leaving Kaz and Obi-Wan to themselves.

The silence between them was, again, companionable. Kaz was logging the day’s events into his datapad, brushing particles of sand from his short beard while Obi-Wan directed his gaze to the stars above. You couldn’t get a view of the galaxy like this on Coruscant, and in a ship you can only see so much through the window. He was mesmerized by the spectacle of stars twinkling far over their heads, various hues of blues and purples meshed in a supernova of color.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” he mused, eyes glittering and locked in an awestruck gaze. 

Kaz looked up from his datapad, glancing up at the stars for a moment before turning his attention to Obi-Wan. He took in his expression—the faintest of smiles on his lips, the wonder in his eyes.

“Yes, it is,” he agreed. If Obi-Wan were to turn to him now, he would see fondness written in his expression.

Fen came back to join them. “I’m gonna turn in, boys. One of us should keep watch for a few hours, then we’ll switch.”

“I can go first,” Kaz volunteered. 

With no protest from anyone else, Obi-Wan and Fen went to sleep.

The next day felt hotter than before. The further they traveled into the desert, the more vicious the heat seemed to become, waves visible and hovering over the horizon. They passed around a jug of water, their supply quickly decreasing to only half within the first three hours of riding. The three agreed to drink as little as possible in order to preserve the only substance saving them from death by dehydration. They ride till they reach a pass between the towering mountains, the tops of them hidden by stormy grey clouds. There was a strong wind blowing through the pass, blasting the heat of the desert into their faces as they stood at the entrance.

“Looks like there might be a storm,” Fen said. “We should try to hurry through before we get caught in it.”

They rode into the narrow pass, the wind growing stronger and stronger as they went. Obi-Wan was grateful for Kaz’s large frame in front of him as it blocked the worst of the sandy wind. He held onto him tightly, pressing his face into his back.

Suddenly, the skijas stopped. Kaz tried to persuade his mount to keep moving forward but it only paced restlessly, a frightened look in its dilated pupils. Something was wrong. The wind had stopped, the air eerily still. Obi-Wan looked up at the darkening sky and could feel a sense of danger screaming at him through the Force. There was a roaring noise from above, making the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. The wind picked up again, debris flying towards and around them. The clouds started forming a funnel that rapidly spun towards them. A tornado.

Their skija bucked wildly in alarm, throwing Kaz and Obi-Wan to the ground before bolting into a nearby tunnel.

“Kark!” Fen shouted. “You two find somewhere to hide, I’m going after the skija!”

He rode off into the tunnel, leaving Kaz and Obi-Wan to frantically scramble to their feet and search for a space to get into. There were two other tunnels near them that were far enough away from where the tornado would land and they ran towards the entrances. A huge gust of wind made them lose their balance and they stumbled into two different tunnels before another wave of debris blocked off the exits.

Obi-Wan stood in the middle of a dimly lit cave, glowing crystals lining the walls, like those that make up the buildings in the capital city. He has no idea if Kaz made it safely to the other cave. He wasn’t sure if he’d be able to escape the one he was in or if it even held the correct way out. He was worried and insecure, and it was a rare time in his life where he felt that the Force would be unable to guide him in this situation. He stared down the path hesitantly, hand close to his lightsaber hanging on his belt, and stepped forward. There seemed to be nothing but crystals in the walls, ceiling, and floor. There was beauty in its repetition, seeing it over and over again in various shapes and sizes was analogous to the way one may rehearse their combat form, to do it again and again and using different methods in order to achieve the same outcome. As he walked, his foot accidentally knocked over one of the crystals and it rolled a bit in front of him, but it still glowed brightly in his path. He crouched down to pick it up and he held it up to his eye and noticed the light glittering with different colors within it like a prism. He put the crystal in his pocket, deciding that it would be a nice souvenir to have, before he continued down the passage with an unsureness in his heart but a determination in his mind.

In the other tunnel, Kaz was surrounded in darkness, unable to see where the path was or where to go. He hoped that Obi-Wan was fine, sure that he saw him enter the other cave. The darkness of the tunnel enveloped him tightly. It was almost claustrophobic. He hastily ignited his saber, the glow from the blade allowing him to vaguely see where he’s supposed to go. Carefully, he made his way forward, deeper into the darkness. Immediately, he tripped over his own feet. It was so dark he couldn’t even feel where the darkness ended, and he began. He was afraid. _Fear is your enemy_ , he reminded himself. _Just stay calm and you will find your way_. He took a deep breath, soothing his nerves, and used his free hand to feel along the wall. The rocks were smooth, nothing seemed too jagged or sharp that he might accidentally cut himself on. He moved slowly but became more confident in his steps as his eyes gradually adjusted to the lack of light. Despite the fear growing in his chest, he also had hope. Hope that if he kept going, he would be able to reunite with Obi-Wan.

Both of them, on their separate paths, advanced through the tunnels. Obi-Wan’s was full of nothing but light and Kaz’owan’s darkness contained brightness at the end of the path. Neither of them was sure where their passages will lead them, but there is no other way to go except forward. Together they turn a corner and are faced with the same picture: a mural of two figures standing hand in hand over what looks to be the exit, the glowing crystals surrounded them in a cool blue-green light. Obi-Wan turns his head and his eyes meet Kaz’s and suddenly they both feel relieved. They met each other in the middle, their hands becoming linked, their mission temporarily forgotten.

“I was afraid you weren’t going to make it,” Obi-Wan said, his eyes searching his face for any sign of injury or distress. “I wasn’t sure if I’d even make it out of that tunnel, that we’d be lost and separated forever.”

There was a tenderness in Kaz’s expression as he lifted their joined hands to his chest. “It was the hope that I’d find you again that kept me moving forward.”

Obi-Wan’s eyes widened and his cheeks felt hot. There was no way that was meant in a romantic context, he was sure of it. Jedi could not have feelings like this, it was against the Code. Maybe it was a joke. Maybe they were just joking. If that were indeed the case, he should return a joke as well. “My, Master Kaz’owan, I never pegged you for the mushy type.”

His chuckle was light and laced with an amused hum and it made Obi-Wan’s heart do silly flips in his chest. “And I always knew you were a worry-wart, Master Kenobi,” Kaz teased.

It took him a second to recover from the minor crisis he’d just experienced in his heart. “I think I had a very good reason to be worried. I’m sure you were just as worried as I was.”

“Lies and slander, my friend. I was one hundred percent sure I’d find you at the end of my path,” Kaz insisted with a knowing smirk as he led him by the hand to the exit.

And oh, if that didn’t make him feel weak in the knees.

At the end of the final tunnel, they were back in the desert. The sun was still high in the sky and the sweltering heat was unending. But they were out. And so was Fen, apparently, as they saw him ride up to them with both skijas in his possession.

“There you are! I’ve been lookin’ for you two for hours! Didja get lost in there?”

“Thank you for waiting for us, Fen,” Obi-Wan said, reluctantly releasing Kaz’s hand as he let him check on their belongings that were still attached to the skija. “I hope we didn’t cause you too much trouble.”

“Naw, it’s alright. None of us were expectin’ that tornado to come hurlin’ at us. We were lucky to get out of those mountains in one piece. But we better get a move on. We’re gettin’ close to the Oasis and we’ll soon be half a day’s way if we can start now.”

With that in mind, Kaz mounted his skija and Obi-Wan climbed on behind him, suddenly self-conscious about their close proximity after their conversation in the cave. He loosely held onto his tunic as the skija stood upright again, careful not to lean into him too much. But Kaz took his hand gently and pulled him closer so that Obi-Wan’s chest was flush against his back and his hand was resting on his abdomen.

“You might want to hold on tighter,” Kaz suggested as they took off at a brisk pace.

Obi-Wan ignored the blush that spread from the tips of his ears down the back of his neck and closed his eyes, repeating in his head like a mantra: _There is no emotion, there is peace_.

They rode only for a few more hours before the sun began to set and they decided to make camp. Fen turned in almost immediately, sleeping with his skijas curled around him. The two Jedi stayed up, sharing a ration bar as they sat around the fire. Obi-Wan’s thoughts kept drifting to what happened in the cave, to the mural on the wall, what Kaz’owan said to him and how he gently held his hand. His thoughts were dangerous, he knew this, but every time he tried to repress them, they would come back and he both loved and hated the way it made him feel. The warmth that bloomed in his breast every time he thought about Kaz’owan and every aspect of him that he found endearing never failed to bring a smile to his face. Then immense shame would follow immediately afterwards. It felt like an impossible situation for Obi-Wan. His distress must have been showing in his expression because Kaz put a concerned hand on his shoulder, his brows furrowed with worry as he frowned.

“Is something troubling you? Do you need to lie down?”

“No, I’m fine,” Obi-Wan assured him quickly. “I was just thinking about the mission.”

“What about the mission?”

He took a deep breath as he thought about it. “There’s a lot to be concerned about. What if the bandits show up again? What if we get caught in another storm tomorrow? What if we can’t find the Wunderwand?”

Kaz hummed as he appeared to consider his words. “I think that it’ll all work out somehow. Even if something does go wrong, I have hope that we’ll find a way around it. Not everything is set in stone,” he smiled at Obi-Wan. “These things happen because the Force wills it so.”

Obi-Wan tried to suppress his laugh but couldn’t help a small sound of amusement. “You sound like Master Qui-Gon.”

“I sure hope I do. He was a good Jedi.”

“And a good Master,” Obi-Wan added wistfully. 

Kaz’owan offered a sympathetic smile, reaching over to squeeze his hand. “Will you rest?”

“No. I think I’ll take the first watch this time. You rest.”

“If you’re sure,” Kaz lifted his hand to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to his knuckles. “Be careful.”

He then left to go lay on his robe and sleep. Obi-Wan, on the other hand, was not quite as relaxed. The irrational part of his brain was very sure that he had just imagined that entire interaction. There’s no way Kaz’owan really kissed his hand. That was impossible! There’s no way that really happened! But even as he thought about that, his rational brain wasn’t being very helpful either. In fact, the other half of his thoughts were screaming into the Force with so much glee and affection. Was Kaz’owan messing with him? Was he purposefully playing with his feelings? There was only so much his heart could handle and this recent development was skating on rather thin ice. Obi-Wan sighed, rubbing his face with his hands as he tried to calm himself down. He straightened his posture and relaxed his shoulders. As he considered maybe meditating on his thoughts, the skin on his back tingled as though something were moving against it. He assumed it was just his shirt as he shifted, but then there was a sharp pain in the back of his neck. He yelped in surprise and smacked away whatever was crawling on him. A small, purple scorpion-like creature fell to the ground, hissing at him before scurrying away.

It was just his luck to get stung by a strange bug. He only hoped that it wasn’t poisonous as he rubbed at the back of his neck, feeling a small bump from where he was pierced by the stinger.


	2. Chapter 2

When Kaz’owan was young, he had conditioned himself to become a light sleeper. He had always been plagued by strange dreams that frightened and confused him as a child. His Master, a humanoid woman from his birth planet Too’war named Mik’wa, advised him to try not to feel afraid of what his dreams showed him. She taught him to rely on meditation during his restless nights. So he slept very little, awaking at even the smallest disturbances in the Force. But when he did, he would meditate to regain that energy lost. It became a routine of his. Even now when he woke up to the sound of a yelp, he was automatically going to start meditating. That was, until he saw Obi-Wan unconscious on the ground.

Alarmed, he rushed over to him, cupping his pale face in his hands. “Obi-Wan?” he brushed the hair out of his face, pressing two fingers to his neck and was relieved to find a pulse. “Obi-Wan, can you hear me?”

He held him upright, gently cradling his head as he held him close to his chest. He felt a strange bump as his hand moved past the back of his neck and he turned him on his side, frowning when he saw a large, purple swell forming on his nape.

“Fen!” he called urgently. “Fen wake up!”

The guide jolted awake, looking around frantically in alarm. “What’s goin’ on?” he hurried to his feet, yawning as he approached them. “Kark, what happened?”

“I don’t know, I woke up and he was lying on the ground. There’s this weird bump on his neck, too. I’m sure it has something to do with it.”

Fen peered closer, inspecting the bump. “Looks like a scopus bite. They’re poisonous bugs that like to go around stingin’ whatever and whoever they want.”

“Is there a cure?”

“Yeah, but I don’t have any of the antidote on me. We’d have to go back to Vega to get some. But I’m not sure we’d be able to make it back in time. Scopus bites become serious in about eight to nine hours. He’ll be dead by tomorrow if something isn’t done soon.”

Kaz felt his heart clench in fear at those words. Panic filled his thoughts and the ability to think clearly became difficult for him. _Calm down_ , he told himself. _Calm yourself in order to find the solution_. _Panicking will not solve anything_. He took a deep inhale and then slowly exhaled. He looked down at Obi-Wan’s unconscious form in his arms. He gently stroked his cheek with his thumb.

“How far away are we from the Oasis?” Kaz asked.

“About four, maybe five hours, tops.”

“Then we should leave now.”

Fen woke up the skijas, getting them ready to leave. The sun wasn’t even up yet and probably won’t be for another hour or two. But there was no time to waste, Kaz needed that flower. For the Republic, and for Obi-Wan’s life. He carried the other Jedi to the skija, setting him upon it before climbing on behind him, letting him lean against his chest. They sped off in the direction of the Oasis, not once slowing down in their desperation to reach the Wunderwand.

The air seemed to grow cooler as they rode and Kaz could smell a saltiness, perhaps even a fishy-ness in the breeze. “I smell the ocean!” he shouted over the sound of the wind and the thumping of the skijas’ feet. 

“The Oasis is close to Seafolk territory! We’ll have to be careful not to get caught!”

In the distance, Kaz could see what looked to be a small forest sitting near the edge of a cliff that seemed to stretch on for miles. He could hear waves crashing into rocks even though he could not see any water. The sky was grey and cloudy, and he could taste rain on his tongue. There was an ominous atmosphere all around them, like something bad was going to happen. But they made it this far, Kaz couldn’t turn back now, not when Obi-Wan’s life was on the line. They rode to the edge of the forest then dismounted the skijas. Kaz carried Obi-Wan on his back as they continued into the Oasis on foot. In normal circumstances, he’d be fascinated by the variety of vegetation in this miracle forest, but right now the only thing on his mind was finding the Wunderwand. The forest was thick with vines and shrubbery, the trees towering over them menacingly. Everything was very cluttered together and dark, the sky barely visible through the branches and leaves above. 

All he could feel was fear. And worry. And panic. And love—just so much love for Obi-Wan that if something were to go wrong... if Obi-Wan did not survive... he didn’t know what he’d do. As they walked, the trees began to part, making a clear path all the way to the edge of the cliff. In the middle of the path was a stone container sitting upon some sort of pedestal. Kaz carefully set Obi-Wan down on the ground, folding up his robe and using it as a pillow for his head. As soon as he was sure he would be fine, he turned towards the container. Upon closer inspection, he could see runes engraved in the stone, a diamond-shaped panel in the middle of the inscription.

“These are ancient Jedi runes,” Kaz breathed, eyes wide with awe. “But... how? Why?”

Fen looked at the runes over his shoulder. “They say that centuries ago, a Jedi came to this planet to try ‘n negotiate a peace between us Landfolk and the Seafolk, that’s how long this feud has been goin’ on. Anyway, the Jedi couldn’t get anyone to get along, so, bein’ fed up with all this bantha-fodder, they sealed away the object we’d been fightin’ over,” he nodded to the container. “The Wunderwand.”

“Oh. Are you still-”

“Fightin’ over the flower? Naw, that was ages ago. We have other reasons to fight each other now.”

Kaz turned back to the container and curiously, he pressed his hand against the panel. It glowed suddenly, and he moved his hand away as the door opened, revealing a white, twelve-petaled flower blooming from soil black as night, sitting in a silver vase. It was beautiful. He reached forward to take it but froze when he felt something cool and metal bump against the back of his head. Kaz turned slowly to find Fen pointing his blaster at him. He instantly reached for his lightsaber.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Fen warned as he tilted his head towards where Obi-Wan was being held up by a bandit, a knife held to this throat.

Anger, fear, and concern flashed through him as he turned to glare at the guide. “What are you doing, Fen?”

“What does it _look_ like I’m doin’? I’m betrayin’ you and your poisoned buddy. Now move over,” he gestured to the side and kept the blaster trained on him as Kaz carefully moved away from the flower.

Another bandit appeared from behind the container and took the Wunderwand.

“You were working with the bandits this entire time?” Kaz questioned.

“Even better. I’m their karkin’ leader,” Fen smirked at him, waving his blaster around freely. “I needed a Jedi to open the doors and get my hands on the flower those bastard Seafolk stole from us so I can sell it back to the Sargan government and be hailed a war hero. And when I heard there were two Jedi in need of a guide to get to the Wunderwand, well, it must’ve been my lucky day. And even better, you two have sexual tension so thick I could cut it with a knife! So, to save me the hassle of havin’ to fight _two_ Jedi, all I had to do was send a little scopus bug in the direction of one of you and then all my problems were solved.”

Kaz froze. “You poisoned Obi-Wan?”

“Yes, and now we’re goin’ to kill _you_. Very star-crossed lovers, yeah?” Fen nodded to his bandits who began to surround him. “Nothin’ personal, Jedi. It’s just business.” 

Kaz trembled with rage. He felt a darkness burning within him, like fire, aching to be released. He could feel vibrations of energy coursing through him, a power that was both familiar and foreign, something that was similar to and unlike the Force that he knew. There was a ringing in his ear, but he was sure he was yelling, and he could feel the ground beneath him quaking and there was only red. When his fury settled into a numb sensation in his chest, he was breathing heavily, hands shaking. He was still glaring at Fen, but the bandit’s face was twisted in horror. Kaz turned around then and saw spikes of earth sticking from the ground, impaling three of the bandits who had been behind him. He did this. He did this horrible thing. He looked down at the palms of his trembling hands, his hands that directed the Force into the ground and outwards into the flesh of those people. He tried to bring his attention back to the present and just barely registered Fen yelling behind him.

“-em off the cliff!”

Kaz turned quickly and saw two bandits dragging Obi-Wan to the edge of the cliff and that anger was there again but this time mixed with fear. He charged at them right as they threw Obi-Wan over the edge and he launched himself forward, catching his arm before he got out of reach. He desperately tried to pull him back up, but his attempts were thwarted when a bandit hit him across the head with a blaster, knocking him out and kicking him the rest of the way over the edge. 

They were falling, plummeting two thousand feet into the ocean. They would surely die if they hit the water from this height. But Kaz, barely conscious and running on what little adrenaline he had left, grabbed Obi-Wan in midair, holding him close enough to create a Force barrier around them, right before crashing into the ocean.

His dreams were filled with fear. Within his subconscious, he could see nothing but Obi-Wan dying from the poison, Obi-Wan getting killed by the bandits. He saw himself turning to the Dark Side, killing innocents with his dangerous connection to the Force. Kaz was startled awake, panting heavily and sweating as he recovered from the shocks of his nightmares. He slowed his breathing, releasing his fears into the Force. Once he was calm enough to think clearly, he took in his surroundings. 

He was in a room with tall walls that curved and met in the middle like a cone. It was bright, lit by orange-yellow lamps that hang from the ceiling. Standing in front of what he assumed to be two very large doors were blue-ish, white-ish people with beady black eyes and gills along both sides of their necks. They had webbed fingers wrapped around long, silver spears and they were watching him intensely. Kaz lifted his hand in greeting but paused when he realized his wrist was cuffed to the side of the bed.

Oh, so it was _that_ kind of situation.

He looked around the room for any sign of another bed, hoping that Obi-Wan was there with him. But he wasn’t. And there was his fear again. Before he could ask the guards where he was, the doors opened, and in came another person who looked like the guards but had fins around their jaw and wore much more elaborate garments. They approached him, their head turned upwards as they regarded him with curiosity and disdain.

“Sargan,” they began. “You were very bold to have fallen into Nepoan territory. Were you perhaps trying to steal another one of our precious jewels? Maybe you were attempting to assassinate a member of our Royal Council, hmm? State your intentions, Land Roamer and we shall see what punishment will be fit for your crimes.”

Kaz blinked in confusion. Ah, so it was a misunderstanding. “I’m sorry, but I believe there’s been a mistake,” he began carefully. “I am not a Sargan.”

“Oh? Then if you are not a Sargan, what are you?”

“A Too’warian. But also, a Jedi,” he said. 

“A Jedi? How do I know you aren’t lying?”

Usually, it was frowned upon to use the Force as a party trick like he was about to do, but it was the only way he could think of proving his identity while chained to a bed. He used the Force to lift one of the guards’ helmets off their head, causing them to yelp in alarm. The Nepoan beside him didn’t seem too impressed.

“How... mundane. I suppose I can believe that you are what you say you are. We have confiscated your strange weapons but will return them to you upon your return to the surface. As you can see, we have not had a Jedi in our midst for many many years.”

“Yes, I’ve heard,” he smiled politely. “My name is Kaz’owan. The other man who was with me is Obi-Wan Kenobi. We were here on a mission to retrieve the Wunderwand, a rare flower with healing properties. We encountered some... problems along the way which is how we ended up in your territory.”

The Nepoan gave a thoughtful look, scrutinizing his expression. “I am Pars, Head Advisor of the Royal Council. I will take you to see your friend and then we will dine and discuss—Nepoan slang for educational discussion over dinner.”

Pars pulled a key from their sleeve and unlocked the cuffs around his wrists. Kaz sat up slowly, rubbing his arms. Pars beckoned him to follow as they walked swiftly to the door and he hurried to catch up. Outside the room, there was not much to see. There were no windows, just a rotund corridor illuminated by the same orange-yellow lamps that were in the previous room. Pars paused in front of an identical set of doors and gestured for him to enter. Kaz hesitantly glanced at the Nepoan before opening the door, peering curiously into the room.

The room was the same as the room he had woken up in. The same lamps in the same position, hanging from the cone-like ceiling. But on the bed was a very unconscious Obi-Wan. Kaz rushed forward worriedly, standing by his side. He held his face in his hands and saw the color in his cheeks. The bump was gone, and he seemed more at peace, healthier.

“You cured him,” he breathed, relief evident in his voice.

“Of course we did. We are not monsters. He was clearly in very bad shape and needed immediate medical attention. Luckily for him, we have the best healers on the planet.”

Kaz turned to Pars, eyes glassy with unshed tears. “Thank you,” he said earnestly.

Pars looked surprised by the blatant emotion in his expression and in his voice. They blinked, unsure how to respond for a moment before straightening their posture. “You should let him rest. Come, we will dine.”

Kaz gave one more lingering look in Obi-Wan’s direction before following Pars out of the room once more. He was led to the dining hall which still had the same aesthetic as the rest of the building but was far grander. The ceilings were much taller, and the lamps were arranged to look like leaves atop a silver tree as it stood tall in the middle of the room. The tables were round and organized in an expanding circular arrangement around the tree. There were still no windows and no way to see outside but it was still a magnificent sight. Pars sat him down at a table then clapped their hands, summoning two smaller Nepoans who appeared to be servants. Pars spoke in a strange language that sounded a bit like bubbles forming underwater and the servants nodded and scurried to the kitchens.

“You will try the finest Nepoan dishes in the kingdom and then I will tell you about this war with the Sargans.”

To be frank, Kaz had never really been a fan of seafood. But the Nepoan assortment of shellfish mixed with a unique flavor of seasonings were _fantastic_. It was a little strange, eating such a large meal all on his own (Pars had insisted that they were fine with just watching him eat which was weird in general,) but when the dessert came, he did not care too much, really. He was served a bowl of what seemed to be a mixture of cookies, cake, and a cream (made from the milk of what animal, he did not know.) He took his spoon and scooped a generous portion of the parfait and ate it happily, a pleased hum escaping his lips.

“Thank you for the delicious meal, Pars. I’ve been eating nothing but ration bars and desert rats for the past couple of days, so this is a nice change.”

“I am glad you are enjoying it,” was the Nepoan’s monotone response. “Now that you have dined, we must now do the discussing.” Pars cleared their throat. “Recently, the Royal Council has been struggling with coming up with new ideas to deal with the Sargans. While we have been doing well in the war, it has been depleting many of our resources and after many centuries, we have finally reached a shortage of veryllium, the strongest metal on the planet. I was hoping for some... outside perspective on how to continue in this feud.”

Kaz chewed thoughtfully as he considered how to answer them. He did not feel like he knew much about war. He was a Jedi General in the Grand Army of the Republic, but that did not mean he knew everything about war. “Can you tell me the history of your conflict? How it began, how it progressed and all of that?”

“Of course. The story is simple. We Nepoans have a flower that grows in pockets of air underwater. We call it Buluba. The flower is white and has ten petals, very similar to the Sargan’s Wunderwand, you see. It is very rare for us and we use it to make calming teas for members of the Royal Council. One of our land scouts came across the Wunderwand in the Oasis, assuming it was the Buluba, so he took it and brought it back to Nepoa. The flower was not what he thought it was, a simple mistake, really. But that angered the Sargans. They thought we were stealing from them. So do you know what they do? They take the sacred coral crown of the High Priestess Lula! And that was when we declared war on each other.”

“So... you two went to war over a misunderstanding?”

“Yes. But now we fight because of tradition.”

Kaz blinked. “Tradition.”

“Yes.”

“You’re concerned about your resources that are depleting because you are at war with another kingdom because of _tradition_?”

“I’m sorry, is it not clear to you?”

“No, no, it’s very clear to me,” Kaz assured. “I think the obvious answer is to just... end the war.”

“End the war? But... we can’t do that!”

“What’s stopping you?”

“Tradition.”

Kaz tried his hardest not to groan in frustration. “It’s been hundreds of years since the feud began, Pars. Life then is very different from life now. Things change. _Feelings_ change. You don’t have to blindly follow tradition for the rest of your lives when you can change things for the better _now_. Ending the war is the solution to all your problems that exist because of the war.”

Pars just stared at him and Kaz was sure that if they had eyelids, they would be blinking in surprise right now. “I suppose... you’re not wrong. I have never thought of it that way,” they stood up immediately. “I will call upon the Royal Council and let them know at once. Thank you for your advice, Jedi. I will let you know the result as soon as possible.”

Pars swiftly left the dining hall and Kaz sat alone at the table. He decided to go back to Obi-Wan’s room, wanting to wait for him to wake so he could update him on all the things he missed. And Force, there was quite a lot. 

Finding the room Obi-Wan was in was tricky, considering all the doors were identical, but he was able to navigate his way to the correct room using their connection through the Force. He entered the room, noting that there were no longer guards posted by the doors, and sat on the end of the bed. Obi-Wan was still asleep, completely lying in stillness aside from the subtle rise and fall of his chest as he breathed steadily. Kaz loved him. Loved him more than he should. Jedi were not allowed attachments, but he could not stop his heart from having these feelings. It was inevitable for the kind of person he was. Kaz knew he loved Obi-Wan when they were both padawans. They were both young adults, both impressionable and free of mind. Obi-Wan was fed up with his master’s unorthodox antics and took up a habit of ranting about whatever had gone wrong in a mission to his close friend who would listen attentively and with fondness. It was in the middle of one such speech that Kaz realized he could listen to Obi-Wan rant and rave about his eccentric master for the rest of his life if it meant getting to be by his side. He kept those feelings secret, sharing them only with himself. In the privacy of his own rooms in the middle of the night, he would dare to consider his love for Obi-Wan, dare to imagine holding his hand, playing with his braid, holding him close and kissing his smile. But then he would feel shame and guilt. What would his master say if she knew he harbored such sentiments towards his fellow padawan? If the Council knew, surely they would expel him from the Order. He didn’t want that because if he could no longer be a Jedi, he would no longer be by Obi-Wan’s side. But he also knew that the intensity of his emotions was... dangerous. He thought back to the fight with Fen and his bandits, how he had manipulated the Force into becoming a weapon, killing three people. He felt remorse over his actions but not for the deaths of those bandits and that was what frightened him. He was dangerous. He was a monster. He did not deserve to be close to Obi-Wan, especially when he could unintentionally harm him if he were to lose control.

Beside him, he felt Obi-Wan stir. His eyes opened slowly, and he looked around in confusion before sitting upright in alarm. Kaz’owan put his hand on his leg in an attempt to reassure him.

“Kaz? Where are we? What happened?”

“It’s alright, Obi-Wan. We’re not in danger, I don’t think,” which wasn’t a very comforting thing to say but he wanted to be honest. “You were bit by a scopus bug. It poisoned you and you were knocked unconscious.”

Obi-Wan touched the back of his neck. “Right, I remember that. What happened after?”

“I woke up and saw you on the ground. It frightened me, seeing you like that. Fen told me that you only had hours to live and I didn’t know what to do. But we were close to the Oasis and I hoped that... that if I found the Wunderwand there, I could try to use some of it to cure you.”

“But that is not what happened, is it?”

Kaz shook his head. “Fen betrayed us. He was a bandit this entire time. He tricked me into opening the container to the flower. He was the one who set the scopus bug upon you. He _poisoned_ you and I-” he wanted to tell Obi-Wan what had happened, how he lost control. He held his hands, looking into his eyes. “I...” Those blue-grey eyes stared into his own with so much _trust_ and earnestness and he felt his mouth go dry and his heart clench and he couldn’t... he just couldn’t. “I did everything I could to protect you. But I could not stop them from throwing us off the cliff.”

“Is that where we are now? At the bottom of the cliff?” he was smiling at him. “It’s a lot nicer than most places I’ve ended up when I make an unexpected fall.”

Kaz returned the smile as best as he could. “We are in Nepoa, kingdom of the Seafolk who are at war with the Sargans. I would say they rescued us, but it would be more appropriately described as a capture.”

Obi-Wan’s laugh was refreshing and he didn’t realize how close he was to never hearing that sound again until in that moment. He couldn’t stop himself from pulling him close and hugging him tightly, burying his face in the crook of his neck.

“I thought I was going to lose you,” he sighed, lips pressed against the skin just under his jaw. “I don’t know what I would have done if you’d died.”

He felt hesitant hands coming to rest upon his back, a warm cheek leaning against his head. “There is no death, Kaz,” he reminded. “Only the Force.”

“You know what I mean.”

He felt Obi-Wan sigh and he moved away from him slowly. “I... we can’t. We can’t do this, Kaz’owan. It’s against the Code.”

“Kark the Code.”

“Kaz-”

“No, I mean it, Obi-Wan. We’ve been following the Code blindly all our lives and we’ve never stopped to consider that maybe not all of it is right. Times change and maybe it’s time for the Jedi to adapt to that change as well,” he insisted. “I can’t stop how I feel about you and my love only grows when I am by your side.”

A beat passed between them.

“Then maybe we should spend some time apart.”

Kaz froze. There was a pain in his chest, and he stared at Obi-Wan who had averted his gaze. “You... you don’t mean that.”

The other Jedi looked up then, his lips moving as though he wanted to say something else, but they were interrupted by Pars entering the room. “Jedi! I have good news!”

Kaz turned away from Obi-Wan then, ignoring the hurt in his heart. “Pars, I take it the meeting went well?”

“The Royal Council have agreed to end the war,” The Nepoan said. “I have been chosen as the representative to confront the Sargan government about a treaty and we will depart tomorrow morning.”

“We?”

“Yes, I will take you Jedi with me to the capital so that you may return to your ship. Consider it a gift of gratitude for your excellent advice.”

“Thank you, Pars. We appreciate your help.”

“Rest well, my friends.”

Pars then left the room again and they were alone.

“Kaz-” Obi-Wan began but stopped when Kaz’owan suddenly stood from the bed.

“I think we should sleep. We have many things to do tomorrow.”

And before Obi-Wan could say anything, Kaz left the room quickly.


	3. Chapter 3

In the morning, they were led down a tunnel, this time made from very thick glass and they could see the ocean floor lined with various sea vegetation, coral and anemones, schools of fish with glittering and sometimes glowing scales. There were also Nepoans sitting on rocks and swimming freely through the water outside the tunnel. A few waved at them as they passed by and they returned the greeting politely. At the end of the path was a pod within a glass dome, meant for speedy travel underwater. Pars was telling them about how the machinery worked and assured them that there would be plenty of oxygen for the both of them but Obi-Wan was more concerned about Kaz. He had said something horrible to him. He didn’t mean it; the words just came out and now he might’ve ruined everything between him and Kaz.

Pars showed them into the pod, and they were joined by a few Nepoan guards. The hatch closed and sealed itself, keeping the air inside as water began to fill the area around them. The pod floated up to the surface, the kingdom of Nepoa growing smaller and smaller beneath them. As they got closer to breaching, the water around them seemed to swirl as the guards and Pars appeared very focused. Obi-Wan realized that they were using the Force to have the water propel them into the air and above the surface. The sudden change in gravity made his stomach churn but it quickly passed as they landed on the cliff.

“I had no idea you were Force-sensitive,” Kaz said to Pars in surprise.

“You never asked.”

The pod changed shape so that it looked a bit more like a speeder before zooming across the desert. Obi-Wan looked over to Kaz who stared pointedly out the window, still ignoring him. His guilt was eating away at him and he wanted to apologize. He _should_ just apologize but he was just so afraid that it would not fix everything, that there would still be this rift between them, that Kaz would not actually be able to forgive him. And losing his connection to Kaz would hurt him so because Obi-Wan did love him. He loved him deeply which went against everything he practiced. He found love in the way that he would smile at Obi-Wan whenever they saw each other. He found love in the way that he would laugh whenever Obi-Wan would say something funny, even if nobody else was amused. He found love in the way he would give him his fullest attention every time Obi-Wan would rant about something that bothered him, even when his words didn’t make any sense. The feelings he had for Kaz were stronger and different than his former infatuation with Satine because they knew each other inside and out, they were two sides of the same coin, one could even dare to describe them as soulmates. Obi-Wan knew he could never love anyone the way he loved Kaz’owan. But his years of repressing his feelings made it difficult for him to accept that maybe he could act on his emotions, it made him afraid of the possible consequences of allowing himself to consider his love and see it as a reality rather than a fantasy. But that didn’t mean he should push Kaz away, no. He knew that would only make things worse, perhaps _that_ was the real danger of attachments—the heartbreak that followed. 

Kaz finally looked away from the window and his gaze met Obi-Wan’s. He should just apologize now. He could do it. He just had to say-

“Bandits!” one of the Nepoan guards warned.

The pod had stopped as they were faced with bandits on skijas and vermes surrounding them. Fen was among them, smirking confidently. His mouth started moving but because of the thick glass, they could not hear what he was saying. They opened the hatch at the end of his spiel, barely catching his words.

“-and that’s why y’all should just back down.”

“I’m sorry, what did you say? I’m afraid we missed the beginning of your speech,” Obi-Wan called to him, fighting a grin.

“Are you serious? I had this huge monologue and y’all didn’t hear any of it?”

“No, we caught the end. Just give us a small summary of the earlier stuff.”

“For the love of-” Fen groaned inwardly. “I said we were gonna kill the Seafolk, take their corpses to the government as well as the Wunderwand, receive lots of money, et cetera et cetera, y’all took the fun out of explainin’ my plans. Just kill ‘em.”

The bandits charged at them wildly, brandishing various weapons: blades, blasters, chains. Obi-Wan and Kaz leapt out of the pod, their lightsabers “unsheathed” as they fought off the first line of offense. Above, two vermes swooped down in an attempt to grab at the Nepoans but stopped when their spears pricked their feet and they screeched in frustration. The vermes riders then fired at them with their blasters, forcing the Nepoans to duck beneath their seats.

“Cover me!” Kaz shouted to Obi-Wan and the latter moved to shield him from the oncoming attack. He watched as Kaz concentrated on the riders, hand stretched out as he used the Force to pull the blasters away from their users, the weapons falling to the ground, some even hitting and incapacitating a few bandits. Kaz clapped a hand on Obi-Wan’s shoulder in gratitude before he returned to the main part of the battle. 

The Nepoan guards stood up from where they had taken cover, now armed with blasters of their own and they managed to shoot down the vermes above them, effectively killing the riders as well. Obi-Wan narrowly dodged a bite from a nearby skija and used his saber to behead the creature, accidentally cutting down its passenger as well. Behind him, he heard a grunt of pain and he turned around to see Kaz in a face-off with Fen. Kaz’owan was holding his right shoulder where it looked like he had been shot with a blaster. Obi-Wan made to help him but was cut off by another bandit swinging a chain at the Jedi. His lightsaber easily cut through the material and the bandit was left with less than half a chain, barely enough to even wrap around his throat. Obi-Wan swung his saber then, slashing across his enemy’s chest and it was done. There were only a few bandits and Fen Rui left.

Kaz had been a bit careless, mind so immersed in one battle at a time that he did not see Fen aiming the blaster at him until he felt a burning sensation in his shoulder and he nearly dropped his lightsaber. He turned to glare at him despite the pain in his arm. He released his discomfort into the Force. The two paced around each other, unblinking, unrelenting. It was a duel of reflexes. Whoever fires first is the sure victor.

“Looks like your boyfriend’s all healed up now,” Fen taunted with a smirk. “Which is a shame because I’m guessin’ you didn’t even get to see the worst of the effects of the scopus poison.”

Kaz gripped his saber tightly. He was trying to make him mad, make him lose control because he had a short-range weapon. From this distance, Kaz could easily deflect a charge from the blaster but if he were to rush towards him, he’d be vulnerable. He just had to keep his cool.

“If he had been infected any longer, he would’ve woken up in a frenzy, his mind addled by the poison. He’d be livin’ every nightmare he’s ever had, all his fears comin’ to him in terrifyingly realistic hallucinations. Would’ve driven him mad.”

Kaz tried his best to block out his words, attempting to subtly close the distance between them.

“If the madness wasn’t enough to do him in, next would come the pain. Initially, it starts as a little tinglin’ under the skin. The sensation would slowly spread throughout his body, gradually becomin’ more and more intense until it was burnin’. For hours he’d feel like his body was on fire.”

Kaz couldn’t cave in, he just had to ignore him, he was so close to getting to the right distance.

“And then, if _that_ didn’t kill him, he’s definitely one tough bastard. But the last stage is always the worst. The poison would have eaten away at all his memories until he had no clue who he was. He wouldn’t remember you or any feelin’s he might’ve had for you. Nothin’. And _then_ ,” Fen laughed, loud and cruel. “This one’s the real kicker—the poison would actually alter his emotions. He’d _hate_ you.”

Kaz stopped. Somewhere in his mind, he knew it wasn’t true, that none of what Fen was saying really happened and it was all just hypotheticals. But it still hurt.

“Yeah, he’d karkin’ hate you, he’d push you away, tell you hurtful things. He won’t remember anythin’ ‘cept all the bad that you’ve brought upon him-”

“No, that’s not true.” The air vibrated around them, making it feel warmer than it already was.

“But it is. To him you’re just a distraction, an obstacle in the way of his success. He doesn’t _want_ you-”

“Stop-” Suddenly it was too hot, like fire was burning at their feet. The sun hadn’t moved an inch. 

“You’re just a nuisance. Like _come on_ , get over your feelin’s already! Nothin’s gonna happen between you two because that’s just the way things have to be. You’re always around each other, near each other, but never together because your love is meaningless.”

“Shut up!” the ground cracked as a burst of rage expelled from him, the Force heating the air so quickly that it set the already hot ground aflame, the sound of a crack like lightning igniting the fire around them. The flames spread and caught onto the rags of the other remaining bandits, and they screamed in pain, attempting to put out the fire but only spreading it as they rolled around in the burning sand.

Fen grinned at him. “Look at you. You’re a monster.”

Kaz’s eyes widened and he turned quickly to see Obi-Wan standing on the other side of the flames, surprise and confusion written upon his face. His momentary distraction allowed Fen to raise his blaster, taking aim. But before he could fire, a blast from behind Kaz shot the blaster out of the bandit’s hands and he howled in pain. They turned and saw Pars standing on the hood of the pod, a blaster in hand and no emotion on their face.

“I missed,” they said in a monotone, and it was unclear whether they were disappointed or not.

Fen glared at the Nepoan as he cradled his injured hand. He had no other back-up. All his followers had either fled or were already dead. And there was no way he could take them all on his own. The bandit stepped back and hopped onto the nearest skija, the action causing the Wunderwand to fall out of his pocket, but he didn’t seem to care as he started riding away.

“This won’t be the last you’ve heard from me, you bastards! I’ll get you for this!” 

But before he could get very far, a wild verme came from above, catching Fen and the skija in its claws and crushing them together. The flames disappeared and Kaz felt exhaustion sink into his bones. He couldn’t look at Obi-Wan, not after what he did. He turned quickly and made his way back to the pod.

The ride back to the capital was tense and uncomfortably silent. Pars took some bacta spray and a bandage to tend to Kaz’s shoulder, but even then, there was very little conversation. Obi-Wan desperately wanted to talk to Kaz but he had no idea what to say. He wasn’t really afraid of him; he knew it was possible to control the elements with the Force, but he’d never seen it used like that before. It was startling, but not frightening. Perhaps it was because he was biased towards Kaz that he found it easier to accept this unusual development. Kaz clearly seemed distressed about what he had done, and he wanted to assure him that it was alright, that he was not the monster Fen said he was. But once again, words seemed to fail him.

Before he knew it, they had already made it back to the capital. Their speeder was exactly where they had left it and from there, they parted ways with the Nepoans. Pars embraced Kaz, much to the Jedi’s obvious surprise but the gesture was returned with fondness.

“Good luck on your journey home, Jedi. I hope that the Wunderwand brings success to the Republic,” the Nepoan said.

“Thank you. I wish you luck with finding a peaceful end to your war,” Kaz returned with a smile.

The Nepoans waved farewell to the Jedi as they returned to their pod and rode further into the capital. Obi-Wan took the wheel this time as they drove the speeder back to the port. Kaz still wasn’t talking to him and he wasn’t sure if it was because he was still mad at him or because he was afraid of how he would react to what happened. Either way, Obi-Wan wanted to try to reassure him but what does he say? _I’m very sorry about what I said in Nepoa. I panicked and pushed you away because I’m afraid of the potential consequences that could ensue should I pursue a romantic relationship with you such as being expelled from the Jedi Order. But don’t worry, I am totally over that now! Oh, that whole setting the desert on fire thing? Don’t worry about it! It’s not a big deal, people set things on fire all the time! What you’re going through is very normal!_ Even in his head it did not sound like a good thing to say to him.

“Obi-Wan.”

He glanced at Kaz in surprise. He hadn’t expected him to try to talk to him until they got to the ship. “Y-yes?”

“When we give our report to the Council, could you exclude the bits where I set things on fire? I won’t keep this a secret for long, but I want to be the one to tell them on my own terms.”

“Oh. Of course. I understand.”

“Thank you.”

And then there was silence again.

Obi-Wan was buzzing with anticipation. He could do it now. He could apologize to him right now. He opened his mouth but the only thing that came out was: “We’re here.”

Kaz exited the speeder first, walking briskly to the ship. Obi-Wan refrained from hitting his head against the wheel of the vehicle and followed him. He closed the hatch once he was inside and stood there a moment to give himself some motivation. He released his anxieties into the Force, already feeling calmer after doing so. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes, then released it slowly. Obi-Wan turned around then, stepping forward and sitting down in the pilot’s seat. Kaz’owan was already working in his datapad, entering more notes about the mission. He had the Wunderwand sitting out in front of him, still looking healthy as it sat in its silver vase. Obi-Wan turned his seat towards him, catching Kaz’s attention. The other Jedi looked up from his datapad.

“The fire... in the desert,” Obi-Wan began. “It’s okay. I know that the Force is capable of controlling elements like that. And I’m not afraid! I think it’s very impressive, actually, and, um-”

“It’s alright, Obi-Wan. You don’t need to pretend.”

“I’m not pretending. I’m not,” he insisted, voice becoming softer. 

“I lost control of my emotions. I used my rage to control the Force, to kill those bandits. When you were unconscious, in the Oasis, I turned the earth into a weapon. I was so angry that this... this darkness came out of me. I don’t even feel remorse about killing those bandits. In fact, there is a part of me that is relieved that they are dead because I felt that they deserved death after harming you. But I know that it isn’t right to feel this way, this... revenge that I unleashed. I’m just one bad day away from Falling, Obi-Wan, and you know it.”

“No,” he shook his head, an ache in his chest growing. “No, you won’t Fall, you won’t turn to the Dark Side.”

“How do you know?” And the way that he sounded so lost, so afraid of himself, broke Obi-Wan’s heart.

“Because you are a good person, Kaz’owan,” he took his hands in his, like Kaz had held his hands in Nepoa. “You understand what you did wrong. You do feel remorse for your actions.”

“No. You heard what Fen said. I’m a monster.”

“Fen was a liar,” Obi-Wan said firmly. “A monster is not kind like you are. A monster does not have the patience you have. A monster would not spend his free time in the garden, teaching the younglings the importance of caring for living things as you do. A monster would not have risked his life to save me like you did. I could not love a monster the way that I love you.”

There were tears in Kaz’owan’s eyes as he squeezed his hands gently. “I could hurt you if I lost control again.”

“Then I will help you learn control,” Obi-Wan held his cheek, wiping the moisture from his face. “I won’t leave you. No matter how afraid I am of being expelled from the Order, of going against a Code I have been practicing for as long as I remember, I will _not_ leave you.”

Kaz leaned into his hand, eyes closing for a moment. “Hope is a dangerous thing to give me, Obi-Wan.”

“So is love, and I give all my love to you voluntarily.”

Kaz’owan opened his eyes, dark brown orbs meeting blue-grey. They leaned close together, Obi-Wan’s right hand still on his cheek and his left clasped in Kaz’owan’s right hand. Kaz put his hand on his waist as their foreheads touched, their noses bumped, their lips met. From the window, the capital glowed brightly, and they became silhouettes merged together, holding one another close. At this moment, neither one cared about the struggles they would face in the future. One would leave the Order before the war ends and the other would suffer through the destruction of everything he fought for. Eventually they will find each other again, but right now, they had each other, and they had no intentions of being apart.


	4. epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "from me, the moon."

In the end, Obi-Wan ended up returning to the desert. It wasn’t Sarga, but Tatooine. After leaving Luke Skywalker in the care of his aunt and uncle, he wandered deep into the desert, finding a hut for him to reside in until he was needed again. His hermit life was not unpleasant, but it wasn’t luxurious either. He had changed his name to Ben, an alias that kept him hidden from any Imperial forces hunting for stray Jedi that they had missed in the initial genocide.

Tatooine was warmer than Sarga. There was no ocean and there were two suns bearing heat down onto the surface. He grew used to the unusually high temperature within a few months of living in the desert. He now knew when not to wander outside to avoid running into Tusken Raiders or krayt dragons. He made friends with the occasional party of Jawas who would pass by his run-down hut. It was a comfortable life, but he could not help his feelings of extreme loneliness. He missed the Order, he missed his former padawan, he missed Ahsoka, but mostly, he missed Kaz’owan who he had not seen in two years.

Sometimes he would sit by the door of his hut, watching it for hours on end, hoping that someone would knock on it, whether it be a friend or foe. But he was disappointed every time as there was never anyone on the other side of his door.

When his grief felt especially heavy in his heart, he would dwell on the events that lead up to the destruction of the Order. Some nights, he’d play the blame game. He’d blame it on his own weakness as a master, how he could’ve prevented all of it if only he had been more attentive to his padawan. He’d blame it on the failure of the Jedi Council, how they were too far gone in their ways of the Jedi Code that it broke Anakin’s mind, forcing him to believe that the ways of the Jedi were wrong. He’d blame Anakin for Falling, for turning to the Dark Side and refusing to listen to him after warning him many times about Palpatine. He’d even blame his former master, Qui-Gon Jinn, for dying and leaving him to train Anakin, for even finding Anakin in the first place. And then after exhausting himself from being so angry at himself and others who were not there to defend themselves, he’d feel regret and guilt for even daring to think so disrespectfully of those he cared about.

He remembered what Kaz’owan had said to him during their mission on Sarga. _These things happen because the Force wills it so_.

He’ll often think about Kaz’owan, wonder where he was and whether he was still alive. He refused to think about him being dead, hanging on to that hope that he was still out there somewhere, doing whatever it was Grey Jedi do. Sometimes, he’d dream that Kaz’owan would find him in this lonesome desert, would save him from his own sorrows. He’d dream of them finally being able to share their love without the Council hovering over them, ready to rip them apart should they show any sign of their emotions. He would wonder if they would get married, have a family, things normal people could do, things Jedi were never allowed to do. But those thoughts would always make him feel lonelier than he already was, he’d miss Kaz’owan even more.

Meditation became his only escape and he would practice it every day, releasing his pain and his sadness into the Force. He was meditating on the floor of his hut when there was a knock on his door.

There was a knock.

On his door.

Obi-Wan opened his eyes and stared, surprise written all over his face. There was another knock on the door and he quickly got to his feet. He hesitated by the knob. What if it was the Empire? What if it was Darth Vader, here to finish the job? His hand hovered over his lightsaber, prepared for a fight as he opened the door quickly.

He gasped.

Kaz’owan was standing on his doorstep. His beard was a little longer, so was his hair. There were bags beneath his eyes, but his smile was full of positive energy. Obi-Wan could not believe what he was seeing. He reached out, pressing his hand against his clothed chest. It was solid, not a hallucination. He pinched the skin on his arm and winced in pain. It was not a dream.

“I’m very real, Obi-Wan,” Kaz’owan assured, his expression full of tenderness and love. “I’m sorry it took so long for me to get here.”

Tears burst from his eyes, streaming down his face rapidly as his throat seized up and a sob escaped his lips. His arms came around his neck, pulling him tightly into a hug and he cried into his shoulder.

“It took you long enough, you bastard,” he hiccuped, voice muffled by the fabric of his shirt.

Kaz’owan brought his hands up to rub his back gently. “I know,” he closed his eyes. “I’m not going anywhere.”


	5. glossary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> realized i made up stuff and did a bad job of explaining them so here's a glossary

**Sarga** \- a planet near the Mid Rim that is 50% desert and 50% ocean. 

**Sargans** \- the land population of Sarga. Mostly human. 

**Nepoa** \- the kingdom in the ocean of Sarga. 

**Nepoans** \- the sea population of Sarga, residents of Nepoa. 

**skija** \- a reptilian beast used for fast travel across land and water. 

**verme** \- a creature similar in appearance to a krayt dragon but have wings and are able to fly. 

**Wunderwand** \- a rare desert flower that is located in the Oasis on Sarga. Wunderwand is German for "Wonderwall."


End file.
